The Equilibrium Massage Mitt has arrived! Much like humans, horses can get aches and pains and massage has been clinically proven to promote relaxation and also to relieve tension. Massaging your horse before you excercise can help them to loosen up not only physically but mentally as well. Many of the niggles that a horse may have can cause them to be irritable or grumpy but this can often be lessened by massage. Regular massage can also improve the muscle condition of your horse as well as improving your horses range of motion. It is also known to reduce the healing time of injuries because massage will increase the blood flow to the tissue and flush out toxins.

Lightweight and portable, the massage mitt is simple to use, easy to clean and is an affordable addition to your horse daily routine. Available now at your local Mackey stockist.

Horse Quencher is a new product to Ireland having been a huge success in the US and UK – across all equestrian disciplines and levels.

Horse Quencher is an all-natural product that will get your horse drinking immediately.

Created by an avid rider who had trouble getting her favourite mare to drink while travelling, Horse Quencher was embraced by many of the US and Canadian Event Team members and accompanied them to Hong Kong for the Beijing Olympics in 2008 to help curtail expected hydration issues during the Games.

Hydration is important for optimal health and performance – yet stress from travelling and competition, changes in weather, and illness are a few of the reasons horses will reduce their water intake, putting their health at risk.

Dehydration can result in muscle damage, reduced kidney function, laminitis, colic, even death, or can simply cause a competitive horse to perform less brilliantly. Horse Quencher is a proven solution.

If you’re interested in dehydration prevention or health and performance enhancement, then Horse Quencher has a place in your horse’s daily and competition regime. Horse Quencher is a FEI-safe product that looks like muesli and when you put a handful into a bucket of water, it gets horses drinking immediately. Part of the product floats on the top of the water to get the horse interested, and the rest flavours the water, while the heavier grains sink to the bottom and that’s what makes the horse drink and lick the bucket clean. Horse Quencher is not an electrolyte. It is a hydration product to get the horse to drink right away, to get him hydrated.

Gina Miles – American event rider and Olympic Silver Medallist – is an advocate. “Whenever I travel with my horses, I worry they won’t drink enough; with Horse Quencher, my top horse McKinlaigh drank like a champ on the long flights to the Olympics.”

Horse Quencher is also a ‘must have’ for Alice Pearson, GB Junior and Young Rider Eventing Squad Member. She says: “Horse Quencher is by far the best product I have ever used. To be able to prove ‘you can take a horse to water but you can’t make it drink’ wrong is quite exceptional. Horse Quencher has made worrying about my horses drinking a thing of the past. Since I have used Horse Quencher there is no fuss with drinking now, and this makes me very pleased as dehydration can cause loss of performance, quite apart from being bad for health. Horse Quencher is such a handy product, it’s so easy to use, and can be carried anywhere.”

Horses involved in strenuous activities benefit from Horse Quencher since high-stress performances deplete water reserves very quickly and if not replaced, these can rapidly lead to serious health and performance-hindering issues. Horse Quencher has been shown to negate the negative impact of not being properly hydrated on performance. It is a natural fit for equine athletes of every sport and level and a ‘must-have’ for casual and professional riders for convincing their fussy friends to drink.

As the saying infers, getting a horse to consume the appropriate amount of water can be difficult. Horse Quencher entices your horse to drink – it is irresistible, even to the fussiest horse! A wise use of Horse Quencher could also benefit horses with various health problems including colonic impactions where one of the classic problems is their refusal to drink. Horses in high-stress situations, such as frequent travelling, showing, or racing, and horses which are eating poorly (for example, those recovering from surgery or illness), also can benefit from Horse Quencher. An ever-increasing number of vets are recommending Horse Quencher for all manner of issues which predominantly all emanate from the need to keep horses hydrated and drinking regularly, especially those that have been through the trauma of operations. Also, many dehydration signs in horses are sub clinical (not obvious), so horse owners need to err on the side of prevention is better than cure.
Horses are particular about the water they drink, and may not drink water they’re not used to, says David Scott, senior practitioner of Isle Veterinary Group. As a veterinary surgeon and rider I usually find that this is when their fluid needs are at their highest. For years, horse owners have tried numerous tricks to get their horses to drink, adding apple juice, molasses or other treats to the water. Horse Quencher, he said, has been a hit with most horses he’s given it to.

Available in 4 flavours: apple, mint, butterscotch and root beer, Horse Quencher comes in handy individual sachets, travel-size tubs, and larger tubs for bigger yards. At £3 a sachet and £1 a tub measure, Horse Quencher is inexpensive ‘health insurance’ to have to hand for when you need your horse to drink. It’s a lot cheaper than a vet bill for colic and a lot easier to carry than gallons of home water.

Just add Horse Quencher to a bucket of water — and give your horse that healthy head start.

For more information see http://www.mackeyequestrian.com/Shopping/Product/329-Horse-Quencher.aspx

The Bates and Wintec brands are two of the world’s leading brands of saddles. While Bates Saddles are renowned worldwide for their superb design and the extraordinary attention to detail that is seen in each and every saddle that carries the Bates badge of honour, the world’s no.1 synthetic saddle – Wintec, offers great design at an exceptional price. Understanding that a new saddle is a major investment, as distributor of the Bates and Wintec range of saddles in Ireland, we are delighted to introduce a test ride service for Bates and Wintec saddles, so you can be confident that you choose the best model to suit you and your horse.

Available through your local saddler, this service allows you to take any of the saddles available in the Mackey Ireland Bates and Wintec saddle library on trial for a few days, so you can really get a feel for the saddle and be 100% confident that it’s the one for you. With such a wide range of models and styles to choose from, just one trial ride may not be enough and this service will allow you to make your decision with complete confidence.

Chosen by many of the world’s top riders, Bates saddles are unique in that the focus has been shifted to the horse to achieve the best fit and level of comfort, for the highest performance possible for both horse and rider. The company is driven by providing practical and innovative solutions to longstanding drawbacks in saddle design and the launch of the EASY-CHANGE Gullet System in 1996 marked a huge leap forward in saddle design and is now available across the range of Bates and Wintec saddles. This system allows the rider to easily custom fit their saddle to their horse’s changing shape, which rarely stays constant with the changing seasons. The latest revolutionary innovation by Bates and also introduced into the Wintec range – the CAIR Panel System – has won acclaim from renowned riders, vets, remedial therapists and saddlers from around the world. The CAIR Panel System replaces the traditional fillings in your saddle panel with air. The concept of air as the ultimate in cushioning for the horse is simple: being a fluid medium, air will constantly adapt to the horse’s working muscles. This means that your weight will be distributed evenly across the entire length of the panel, virtually eliminating pressure points. This extraordinary comfort results in freer movement, better carriage and a happier horse and for such a simple concept, the dramatic difference the CAIR Panel System makes to a horse’s comfort and performance is profound.

The following models are available to test ride from Mackey Ireland through your local retailer:
The Bates All Purpose saddle, the Bates Momentum eventing saddle, the Next Generation Bates Elevation Jumping saddle, the Bates Isabell dressage saddle, the Wintec 500 All Purpose saddle and the Wintec 500 Close Contact, so if you are looking for a new saddle to partner you and your horses for many, many years to come, look no further than Bates or Wintec. Available to test ride at a saddler near you.

For more information on Bates or Wintec saddles see www.batesaustralia.com.au or www.wintec.net.au. For more information on the Mackey Ireland Bates and Wintec trial service, call 045 404620 or email sales@mackeyequestrian.com

A recent article in the Horse and Hound asked the question “Booting-up: help or a hindrance?”
It goes without saying that the wrong boot can be a hindrance to the horse. Boots are used primarily to provide protection or support. There is minimal information to suggest that boots can provide effective support, and using boots to restrict movement can lead to the creation of new problems elsewhere. However, the many structures within the leg are all vulnerable to injury and this risk can be reduced by the use of appropriate boots, but these benefits need to be balanced against increased risks from additional weight, restriction of movement or blood supply, and overheating.

Very stiff boots can restrict the range of movement of the lower leg, compromise tendon function, lead to soft tissue injury, and/or affect stride characteristics and performance. The ideal boot is a flexible, light boot that provides an adequate level of protection for the intended discipline whilst allowing the leg’s natural cooling process of perspiration and evaporation.

The horse owner should ultimately decide whether or not their horse needs to wear boots, but the following story from Beverley House Stables may provide food for thought.

“I just wanted to let you know about an incident yesterday, in which we’re almost certain that the Tri-Zone Allsports boots saved the life of one of our horses, or at the very least saved him from a career-ending injury.

We’ve a young hurdler called Alcalde, whom we hope might develop into a good horse. He’s won a couple of nice staying races on the flat. Anyway, he had his second run over hurdles yesterday. He’s a good and sure jumper but during the race he made what was his first mistake at a hurdle, just meeting it slightly wrong and landing awkwardly. He finished the race in sixth place but wasn’t ever really travelling well after the mistake. It seems that when he landed he struck into his off-fore with such force that he has sliced into the boot. The polycarbonate strip is still intact, though you can see the mark where he struck it. All we can say is ‘thank God he was wearing them’ and thank you, of course, for making such very good boots.

This morning there’s quite a bit of filling around the tendon, just bruising, and he has an abrasion just above the back of his fetlock joint. He feels a bit sorry for himself but it’s nowhere near as bad as it could have been if he’d been wearing another brand or none at all. We think a lot of this horse and, as I type, I can see his head over his stable door. I’m just very, very glad that he’s still with us, as is John, who rides him every day and has a very big soft spot for him.

The latest update: I’m delighted to say that Alcalde, who struck into himself a few weeks ago at Plumpton, returned to the racecourse today with a brand new pair of Allsports boots and won his first race by 12 lengths. Onwards and upwards!” Beverley House Stables, Newmarket.

Equilibrium Products is fully committed to providing the best in equine leg protection through thorough and independent testing of all our boots. Read more about Equilibrium’s Boot Testing here. Mackey Ireland is the exclusive distributor of Equilibrium Products in Ireland.

Winter is always a difficult time for horses and their carers. With the drastic turn in the weather we’ve had over the last few weeks, it looks like we’re facing into months of struggling with cold, wet weather, muddy fields and short days, while keeping hunters fit and sound, or trying to get horses ready for the competitive season ahead.

Many of us turn horses out for at least a few hours each day, and this is great for their mental wellbeing, especially at a time of year when for those of us not blessed with floodlight arenas or indoor schools, opportunities to exercise are limited by short daylight. However, watching fields turn to muddy bogs is not much fun, and seeing your horse’s precious legs encased in mud is even worse. So what can be done to help prevent mud fever which is the most worrying result of having horses standing in winter fields for hours or days.

Mud Fever is caused by the bacterium Dermatophilus congolensis. This is always present but under normal conditions cannot penetrate horses’ skin. Once the epidermis has been softened by constant immersion in wet mud, it is easily damaged, and the bacterium can easily take hold in the smallest of abrasions.

Prevention is all about minimizing the root causes – keeping legs clean and dry as much as possible, and reducing the risk of abrasion.
Field management is the obvious place to start. If possible, rotating land use and not over-grazing will help, although once a field has been badly cut up, there is little that can be done until better weather arrives. Turning horses out in ones and two’s may reduce the incitement to riot, as will making sure that horses are warm, well-rugged and with adequate shelter from bad weather. Although feeding hay or haylage in the field can be wasteful, it is worth thinking about if your horse starts creating near feed time. He’ll be calmer if he is not quite so hungry. Another measure to minimise contact with mud is to use electric fencing to keep horses away from poached gateways.

The right amount of hair on the heel also helps – heavy feathers prevent the skin ever drying out, but closely clipped legs are very vulnerable to scratches. The best compromise is to trim shaggy winter legs when dry with scissors and comb, or use the coarsest of clipper blades at the start of the winter and then let the feathers grow back. When the horse comes in, most vets do not recommend hosing the mud off, but instead let it dry, and then gently brush off the mud. Be careful not to use a dandy brush aggressively – this could damage the softened skin.

Preventing mud coming into contact with the skin is another very effective approach. Using boots especially designed to keep the leg dry and clean can be very useful. However, the boots used must be breathable, or the skin could become over-hydrated and vulnerable to infection. Equi-Chaps® Close Contact Chaps from Equilibrium Products come well down over the hoof and heel area, helping to protect the skin in these vulnerable areas. They fit like a second skin and help to keep the horse’s legs dry and mud free.

Although the days are short and legs are dirty, do make every effort to check for Mud Fever daily – catching it early makes treatment much easier. The most distinctive symptom to look for is the small scabs that form on the lower legs, typically at the back of the pastern first and then extending up the leg. These will seem like small lumps of dried mud, but removal will be painful for the horse, and cause skin and hair to come away. Underneath will be red and sore, with a little bleeding.
Running your hands down a dry, clean pastern, the skin will feel rough and lumpy underneath the hair (almost like rough sand paper), and be sore. There may also be heat and swelling, with lameness in more severe cases.

If you suspect that your horse or pony has Mud Fever, you must take action immediately as it can become an extremely serious complaint very quickly.
Treatment is in the first instance a matter for your vet. While this condition is common, it is not trivial, and good professional advice is essential. Part of the treatment is bound to be removal of the root cause – the constantly wet and muddy legs. So you will need to stable the horse, or at least move it to an area of dry ground.

Your vet will probably recommend the scabs are removed, so anti-bacterial products can reach the infection. This needs to be done gently, to minimize further damage. Rubbing in an anti-bacterial lotion or cream helps, as does applying a warm poultice to the area. If the symptoms do not improve or if you have any concerns or doubts consult with your Veterinary Surgeon who will be able to advise on the best course of action.

Open sores can become infected by other bacterial infections that cause secondary complications, making them very difficult to heal. This can lead to proud skin, permanent hair loss and in severe cases the need for skin grafts.
It may take months for your horse or pony to recover from a severe attack of Mud Fever. During this time they will be off work and may require continual veterinary support, antibiotic treatment and long-term stable rest.

Failure to take effective action early after diagnosis of Mud Fever can lead to months of problems and pain for your horse, as well as a great deal of expense. So particularly in this wet cold winter, when we are all concerned with budget pressures as well as horses welfare, it makes every sense to try to prevent this very unpleasant condition.

Even though the rain has now started, horses and ponies that suffer from Sweet Itch can still be in danger from this horrible affliction.

In the UK, Killitch? from Carr & Day & Martin has been helping to reduce the suffering endured by countless numbers of horses & ponies that are afflicted by Sweet Itch for many years, thanks to its soothing action and highly effective ingredients. Mackey Ireland are delighted to now be able to make this highly effective product available to Irish horse and pony owners.

Killitch? is an AVM ? GSL licensed product, proven to prevent and treat Sweet Itch in horses and ponies. As an Authorised Veterinary Medicine, Killitch has undergone rigorous testing for safety, efficacy, quality and is the most popular and trusted product in its field. And with the Carr & Day & Martin money back challenge; you know you can rely on Killitch? this summer.

Killitch? is available through your local veterinary surgeon. If you have difficulty in purchasing Killitch? please email sales@mackeyequestrian.com